Are you in Devon/ Cornwall? How do you pronounce Launceston?

[Fordian]

Genuinely interested.

I grew up with a very definite way from my mum and her sister, and subsequently, born '31, 33 and '45; but I don't hear it pronounced that way anymore.

How would you pronounce it (phonetically)?

@WildFlowerBees

Lansun if you're Cornish, Lawnston if not though I did hear a lady call it Lawn ces ton once

The launceston in Tasmania is pronounced lawn-cess-ton.

I’d pronounce it lawn-stun, but have heard people with a strong West Country accent pronounce it Lahns'n/Larnsuhn with an emphasis on the arh sound and a short n sound. It’s actually near impossible to write it how people local to the area pronounce it.

Laaan stun with a sort of hidden w in the aaaa

This thread has been a revelation. In my head, I’ve always thought lawn-ses-ton. So now I know how not to embarrass myself if I visit or need to mention it!

@Welldarn Bem not Bee
Lawnst’n

The launceston in Tasmania is pronounced lawn-cess-ton.

I grew up in Tasmania and would say Lon-cess-ton.

50/50 divide in our house.
Lawn stun/ Lan sun.
I’m obviously right (Lawn stun) and Dh is wrong (Lan sun). He is v Cornish.

Lahns'n - I grew up in Devon.

Lanstun but the 't' is very, very slight (north Devon)

I've also lived in Tasmania, and they say " Lon-cess-t'n.

@Welldarn

Definitely Lawnston in Devon. Now if someone could tell me how to pronounce Beaminster? The choice seems to be between Beeminster or Bem minster. 😆

BehMinster

Ooo I have another …. Biddeford is (I think) pronounces Bid eh fud - please correct me if I’m wrong

But Tideford?? Is it pronounced as seen or the same as Bideford?

I was pretty sure I've heard cornish friends call it Lanson

Local - Lanson
non local - Lawnston

Bid-e-ford but then Tide-ford. So differently pronounced.

Cornish DH says Lawns-ton

Also Bid-e-fud.

All this local v non local 😂 I assure you plenty of locals say lawnstun and plenty of non-locals say lansun. Personally I say the former, as do most of my family, born and raised v nearby.
I don’t quite know what causes the split, but if anything have noticed more older people using the latter. Or if you want to sound extra Cornish to the bleddy emmets 😂

Ooo I have another …. Biddeford is (I think) pronounces Bid eh fud - please correct me if I’m wrong
Pronunciation is right, spelling is wrong, only two ‘d’s in Bideford.

I live in Launceston, always have - it's Lawnston.

Some people do say Lanson, but only if they've always called it that from a child. It's not something to do to 'sound local', it's gotta come naturally or you'll sound a wally

DM says Lawnston (she's not local), so do I. DGM, DF, DB and DP all say Lanson. Odd really.

FiL, not Cornish, but has been here since just after the war, says Lanson. Cornish DH says Lanson. I say Lawnston.

Lansun when talking to Cornish people (I’m Cornish raised). Lawnstun when talking to Plymothians.

love listening to the itinerary announcements on GWR when there’s someone new doing them.

Lawn-stun.

Bud-e-fud.

Bid-e-fud.

I live in Devon, near to the border with Cornwall. We pronounce it Lawn-ston but older (or proper Cornish) folk will pronounce it Lanson.

Lan son